This bill, titled the "Reforming ICE and Protecting America Act," primarily focuses on making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026. It allocates significant funding across various DHS components, including the Office of the Secretary, Management Directorate, Office of Intelligence and Analysis, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Coast Guard, United States Secret Service, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC), and the Science and Technology Directorate. Key appropriations include substantial amounts for CBP operations and support, including vehicle purchases and air/marine support, and for ICE operations and support, with specific allocations for Homeland Security Investigations, forced child labor enforcement, and informant compensation. The bill also provides funding for TSA operations, procurement, and research, as well as for Coast Guard operations, procurement, and retired pay. The United States Secret Service receives funding for operations, procurement, and research, with specific provisions for grants related to missing and exploited children and premium pay for protective services. Administrative provisions within the appropriations sections impose various reporting requirements on the Secretary of Homeland Security and agency heads, including reports on grants and contracts, monthly budget and staffing, acquisition programs, and pilot or demonstration projects. Restrictions are placed on certain activities, such as preventing the import of personal-use prescription drugs from Canada, prohibiting new border crossing fees, and limiting the use of funds for certain surveillance systems. Notably, it mandates a policy for the treatment of pregnant women in CBP custody and prohibits the use of funds for detention service contracts with consistently inadequate performance evaluations. A significant portion of the bill, under the "Bipartisan ICE Reform Act of 2026," introduces several reforms for immigration enforcement. It mandates the use of body cameras by covered immigration officers during public enforcement functions, with specific rules for footage retention and accountability for non-compliance. It also requires visible identification, including badge ID, agency name, and officer's face, for immigration enforcement personnel during public-facing actions, with exceptions for covert or tactical operations. Further reforms include enhanced penalties for doxxing law enforcement officers, expanding the definition of restricted personal information. The bill mandates independent investigations by the FBI's Civil Rights Division into ICE officer-involved shootings to determine potential legal or protocol violations. It establishes immigration enforcement priorities, directing the Secretary of Homeland Security to prioritize the detention and removal of aliens posing a public safety threat, and authorizes withholding of federal grants from states whose law enforcement agencies do not substantially comply. The Act also requires standardized training for all ICE officers, including a mandatory 5-month program for new hires and existing officers who haven't completed similar training. It mandates standardized uniforms for ICE officers during public immigration enforcement functions. Crucially, it limits the detention of U.S. citizens, prohibiting knowing detention without probable cause of a crime, and requires a warrant or probable cause for arrests related to criminal immigration violations. Additionally, the bill restricts civil immigration enforcement actions at sensitive locations (such as medical facilities, schools, places of worship, and private residences) without a warrant, except in exigent circumstances. It also reaffirms CBP's mission of protecting America's borders. General provisions in the bill cover standard appropriations rules, including limitations on fund reprogramming and transfers, requirements for grant and contract notifications, and prohibitions on certain expenditures or activities, such as the use of funds for a national identification card or for transferring certain detainees from Guantanamo Bay. It also includes provisions for estimating migrant arrivals and detentions, and for rescinding unobligated balances from prior appropriations.
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Timeline
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Reforming ICE and Protecting America Act
USA119th CongressHR-8173| House
| Updated: 4/2/2026
This bill, titled the "Reforming ICE and Protecting America Act," primarily focuses on making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026. It allocates significant funding across various DHS components, including the Office of the Secretary, Management Directorate, Office of Intelligence and Analysis, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Coast Guard, United States Secret Service, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC), and the Science and Technology Directorate. Key appropriations include substantial amounts for CBP operations and support, including vehicle purchases and air/marine support, and for ICE operations and support, with specific allocations for Homeland Security Investigations, forced child labor enforcement, and informant compensation. The bill also provides funding for TSA operations, procurement, and research, as well as for Coast Guard operations, procurement, and retired pay. The United States Secret Service receives funding for operations, procurement, and research, with specific provisions for grants related to missing and exploited children and premium pay for protective services. Administrative provisions within the appropriations sections impose various reporting requirements on the Secretary of Homeland Security and agency heads, including reports on grants and contracts, monthly budget and staffing, acquisition programs, and pilot or demonstration projects. Restrictions are placed on certain activities, such as preventing the import of personal-use prescription drugs from Canada, prohibiting new border crossing fees, and limiting the use of funds for certain surveillance systems. Notably, it mandates a policy for the treatment of pregnant women in CBP custody and prohibits the use of funds for detention service contracts with consistently inadequate performance evaluations. A significant portion of the bill, under the "Bipartisan ICE Reform Act of 2026," introduces several reforms for immigration enforcement. It mandates the use of body cameras by covered immigration officers during public enforcement functions, with specific rules for footage retention and accountability for non-compliance. It also requires visible identification, including badge ID, agency name, and officer's face, for immigration enforcement personnel during public-facing actions, with exceptions for covert or tactical operations. Further reforms include enhanced penalties for doxxing law enforcement officers, expanding the definition of restricted personal information. The bill mandates independent investigations by the FBI's Civil Rights Division into ICE officer-involved shootings to determine potential legal or protocol violations. It establishes immigration enforcement priorities, directing the Secretary of Homeland Security to prioritize the detention and removal of aliens posing a public safety threat, and authorizes withholding of federal grants from states whose law enforcement agencies do not substantially comply. The Act also requires standardized training for all ICE officers, including a mandatory 5-month program for new hires and existing officers who haven't completed similar training. It mandates standardized uniforms for ICE officers during public immigration enforcement functions. Crucially, it limits the detention of U.S. citizens, prohibiting knowing detention without probable cause of a crime, and requires a warrant or probable cause for arrests related to criminal immigration violations. Additionally, the bill restricts civil immigration enforcement actions at sensitive locations (such as medical facilities, schools, places of worship, and private residences) without a warrant, except in exigent circumstances. It also reaffirms CBP's mission of protecting America's borders. General provisions in the bill cover standard appropriations rules, including limitations on fund reprogramming and transfers, requirements for grant and contract notifications, and prohibitions on certain expenditures or activities, such as the use of funds for a national identification card or for transferring certain detainees from Guantanamo Bay. It also includes provisions for estimating migrant arrivals and detentions, and for rescinding unobligated balances from prior appropriations.
Get AI-generated questions to help you understand this bill better
Timeline
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.